Circuit-breaker.



E. A. BURROWS & P. P. McINTOSH.

CIRCUIT BREAKER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 9,1906.

963,859. Patented July 12, 1910.

3 BHEETSSHEET l.

.Zizoezzfors:

E. A. BURROWS & F. P. MOINTOSH. CIRCUIT BREAKER.

APPLICATION FILED APE.9,1906.

963,859. Patented July 12,1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 E. A. BURROWS & F. P. MOINTOSH.

CIRCUIT BREAKER.

APPLICATION FILED APB.9,1906.

Patented July 12, 1910.

.3 SHEETS-SHEET a.

UNITED STATES PATENT onnion.

EASTMAN A. BURROWS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AND FREDERICK P. MGINTOSH, O1ELKHART, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR S, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO GENERAL ELECTRICCOMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CIRCUIT-BREAKER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 12, 1910.

Application filed April 9, 1906. Serial No. 310,789.

.a certain new and useful Improvement in Circuit-Breakers, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

Our invention relates to switches for electric circuits, and moreparticularly to high- -potential switches or circuit breakers in whichthe contact parts are immersed in oil or other insulating fluid toprevent the formation of arcs when the switch is opened.

The object of our invention is to produce a simple and eflicient meansfor operating the circuit breaker, the control for both 0 ening andclosing the same being obtains by a single pushbutton circuit.

In its preferred form, our invention contemplates a structure in whichthe switch proper and a solenoid for actuatin the same are inclosed in abox containing 0' in which said switch is submerged. This box is mountedin some convenient position, as for example on the back of theswitchboard. The solenoid circuit is controlled by a push button mountedon the panel of the switchboard. Since but a single button thus controlsboth the opening and closing of the switch, the number of panelsrequired is reduced to a minimum with a onse uent chea enin in the costof installation.

These and other features of our invention may be more readily understoodby reference to the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is an elevation partly in vertical section, of our invention;Fig.2 is a view similar to that of Fig. l, at a right angle thereto;.Fig. 3- is a plan view showing the top of the cylindrical box; and Fig.4 is a diagram showing the circuits employed in our invention.

Similar characters of reference indicate similar parts wherever shown.

the opposite ends of the solenoid coil.

d'eemed/ necessary, in oil or other insulating fluid contained in thecylindrical box A. The members 2, 3, are mounted on an insulating plate6, secured between the upturned, bifurcated end of abracket 7. Saidbracket may be secured in anysuitable manner within the casing, as forexample to a plate 8, which is in turn secured to the top 9 of the box.The upturned ends 10, 10, of the bracket serve as mounting posts uponwhich the members l of the toggle 4 are pivoted.

The conductors of the main circuit pass through the insulators 11, 11,in the top of the box A, and'are secured. to the members 2, 3,respectively. The conductors leading ger 5v of the solenoid is connectedby a rod v 13 to the toggle 4, and when said plunger is lowered orraised, it operates said toggle to close or open, respectively, thecircuit breaker.

The solenoid coil is equipped with a rocking armature 14E, pivotallymounted at 15 upon the arms 7. Said armature is U- shaped, andthe legs1i and 14 extend over The leg 14'', adjacent the toggle mechanism, isslotted to permit the passage therethrough of the rod 18. Bridgingmembers 15 and 16 are insulatedly mounted upon the legs 14 and 14 andserve to connect contacts 17 with 17 and 18 with 18*, respectively, whenthe corresponding leg of the armature is lowered. I

Referring'to Fig. 4', it will be observed that the solenoid coilconsists'of two parts, 19, 20, extending from contacts 17 and 18*respectively, and forming a continuous winding. From the point 21 insaid winding, a conductor 22 extends to one pole of a battery 6. Aconductor 23 extends from the other pole of said battery to a conductor2%,. which connects contacts 17 and 18. A push button at 25 controls theflow of current from the battery I), said push button being located atany convenient position, as for example, upon the switchboard panel.

With the parts in the position shown in F ig'. A, if the push button beoperated a circuit will be closed from battery I; through conductors 23,24, contact 18, bridging meniher 16,, contact 18 winding 20, conductor22 tobattery. As aresult of the energiza-' tion of the 'upper half ofthe solenoid the plunger 5 is drawn upward, operating-thereby the togglemechanism to bring blades. 1 out of contact with switch member 2. As

' long as the battery circuit is closed by the push button at 25, theend 14* of the armature 14 is attracted with sufficient force to holdsaid armature in the position shown, against the force of a coil spring26 which is compressed by the plunger 5. Upon the push buttonbeingreleased, however, the

spring 26 will reverse the .position of the armature, and thereby closecontacts 17 and 17 openmg contacts 18 and 18*. The parts will thus bebrought into such positions that uponthe next succeeding closure of thecircuit by the push button at 25, the part 19 of the solenoid willbecome energized, thereby reversing the position of the plunger andclosing the switch contacts of the circuit breaker. A spring 27,corresponding in function and operation to spring 26, serves of meansfor operating the same comprising an electromagnet having alternatewindings, a movable member connectedto said circuit breaker and arrangedto be moved in a direction to close the same by the energization of oneof said windings and in a reverse direction to openthe same by theenergization of the other of said windings, an armature for saidelectromagnet adapted in either of its opposite positions tocl'ose acorresponding winding of said electromagnet, and means for shifting theposition of said armature at each successive opening of the circuit ofsaid electromagnet';

2. The combination with a circuit breaker, of means for operating thesame comprising an electromagnet, a circuit therefor having parallelbranches with a winding for said I electromagnet in each of saidbranches, a

normally open switch in said circuit, an armature for said magnetadapted when in its alternate positions to open one of said branches andclose the other, means for reversing the position of said armature aftereach successive actuation of said switch, and a movable membercontrolled by the ener gization of said e'lectromagnet and arranged tobe moved in a direction to close said circuit breaker by theenergization of one of said windings and in a'r'everse direction to opensaid circuit breaker by the energize.- tion of the other of saidwindings.

3. The combination with a circuitbreaker, (if means for operating thesame, comprising an electromagnet, a circuit therefor having parallelbranches with a winding for said electromagnet in each of said branches,a normally-open switch in said circuit, 'an armature for saidelectromagnet adapted when in either of its opposite positions to closea corresponding winding of said electromagnet, a spring at each end ofthe armature, one ofsaid springs being adapted to reverse the positionof saidarmature after each successive actuation of said switch, and amovable member connected to said circuit breaker and arranged to bemoved in a direction to close said circuit breaker by the energizationof one of said windings and in a reverse direction to open the same bythe energization of the other of said windings.

4. The combination with a circuit breaker, of means for operating thesaine comprising a solenoid, a circuit therefor having parallel brancheswith a winding for said solenoidin each of said branches, a normallyopen switch in said circuit, an armature for said solenoid adapted whenin its alternate positions to open one of said branches and close theother, a spring for reversing the position of said. armature after eachsuccessive actuation of said switch, and a plunger for the solenoidadapted to be moved in a direction to close said circuit breaker by theenergization of one of said windings and in a reverse direction by theenergization of the other of said windings.

5. The combination with a circuit breaker, of means for operatin thesame comprising a solenoid having a ternate windings, 1a

normally open circuit for said solenoid, a switch controlling saidcircuit,' a plunger connected to said circuit breaker and adapted to bemoved in a direction to close the and adapted to be moved in a directionto close the same by the energization of one of said windings andin areverse direction 'by the energization of the other of said windings, arocking armature adapted when in either of its opposite ositions toclos'ea corresponding winding of said solenoid, and

means for shifting the position of said armature at each successiveopening of the circuit of said solenoid.

7. The combination with a circuit breaker, of a box within which saidcircuit breaker is mounted, an insulating fluid in which the circuitbreaker is submerged, a solenoid mounted in said box, a circuit for saidsolenoid having parallel branches with a winding for the solenoid ineach branch, a switch controlling said circuit, an armature controlledby said solenoid for shifting the circuit from one oi said windings tothe other upon each successive actuation of said switch, a plunger forsaid solenoid con- 15 In witness whereof, we hereunto subscribe ournames this 2nd day of April, A. D. 1906.

EASTMAN A. BURROWS. FREDERICK P, MoINTOSH.

Witnesses:

ROY T. ALLowarY, E. F, BEAUBIEN.

